3 Best Sights in Elafiti Islands, Southern Dalmatia

One of Croatia's best sandy beaches, this swath of white sand backed by pine forests, with a couple of unobtrusive bars and restaurants, is worth the 2½ km (1½ mile) trek across Lopud. The path is quite hilly in both directions, so you might want to hail a golf cart to get there or back—you'll see them driving around the island's main promenade in the morning and parked along the road just above the beach later in the day, waiting to bring people back to town.

As you round the bend onto Lopud by sea, the first thing you'll notice is the imposing Franciscan monastery on the tip of the island. Dating back to 1483, it was abandoned and remained empty for 200 years before being rescued by Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza, creator of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary Foundation (TBA21). After a meticulous 20-year refurbishment, the property has been converted into a luxury villa and private art gallery. It manages to retain the contemplative atmosphere of the monastery, with an infusion of furniture and art—everything from the Old Masters to modern photography—from the Thyssen-Bornemisza family's private collection, which at one point was second only to the collection of the Queen of England. The entire property, which sleeps 10 people, can be rented; if €10,000 per night is a bit out of budget, tours of the monastery can be arranged when the villa is not otherwise occupied.

Another interesting project by Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza's organization, albeit a slightly less imposing one than the monastery, is this modern art light installation on Lopud, inaugurated at the 2005 Venice Biennale. A play on light and perspective, you'll find it hidden away in the middle of the island. It's free to enter and only takes a few minutes to check out.